F# Winform

When you want to make a F# winform application and you don’t want to open an extra console when you start the application.

How can you do this (F# version 1.9.6.2)?

1. Create a F# application:

[Edit- thanks Brian ]

2. Open the project properties

3. In the application tab change the output type

 

4. Add reference to the System.Windows.Forms

5. Add your code.

6. Run your app

7. Close.

8. Add your own details.

Creating a parser with F#

I want to write my own html-parser. That is one of the reasons I am learning F#. I have read all the documentation that is available in the three published F# books and tried to build some simple parsers myself and downloaded the examples of Chris Smith.

This resulted in a naïve development approach: start with lexer, than create the parser, compose the AST and finally build your application that consumes the AST.

One of the lessons learned: when you want to create a parser you have to start with analyses of the text type. In case you can step through the text and can determine the action after each token a lexer is what you need. In case the action is determined by server tokens you need a parser.

Example of program that needs a lexer:

• A program that replacing digits by roman numerals.
  
• A simple encryptor
  

Example of program that needs a lexer and a parser:

• Xml-parser
  
• Code